It is well known in the art that probes are used in performing assays which may deal with biological fluids, environmental samples or metal analysis. Such assays generally involve using the probes to draw and dispense either reagents or test samples. Since these probes are used repeatedly to aspirate and dispense a variety of samples or other fluids, they must be washed after each sampling or before each change of reagent in order to prevent the carryover of one fluid to the next and which could contaminate the testing. Before delivering the reaction components to a cuvette, buffer solution is normally passed through the probe to eliminate any residual reaction components prior to subsequent tests. Typically, the wash solution is passed through the probe and dispensed to a remotely positioned waste container. While this internal cleansing of the probe is generally satisfactory, it does not provide for washing of the outer surface of the probe which can retain residual samples in certain assays.
Sample material retained on the probe surface is especially troublesome in automated analyzers where failure to adequately wash the outer surface of the dispensing probe can cause undesired sample carryover to subsequent tests. Preventing sample carryover can be crucial in some assays to maintain the integrity of the sample or the assay.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a probe wash vessel which has a decreased volume capacity that reduces the chance of carry over contamination and reduces the required wash time.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a probe wash vessel which is more efficient and allows for more frequent solvent changes.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a probe wash vessel that can be used with automated equipment, such as an automated sampling device.
The present invention relates to a probe wash vessel comprising
a) an outer test tube of a first length, having an open top end of a first diameter, a closed bottom end, a first cylindrical sidewall, an interior environment and an exterior environment, said first cylindrical sidewall having an inner surface and an outer surface, which extend between said open top end and said closed bottom end, and at least two holes in said first cylindrical sidewall;
b) at least two faucets, which are aligned with said holes of said outer test tube and attached to the outer surface of said first cylindrical sidewall, one faucet, a lower faucet, being positioned closer to said closed bottom end of said outer test tube and one faucet, an upper faucet, being positioned closer to said open top end of said outer test tube;
c) an inner cannula of a second length which is shorter than said first length, said inner cannula having a top funnel opening, a bottom end, an inner environment, an outer environment and a stem, which comprises a second cylindrical sidewall extending between said top funnel opening and said bottom end, said stem having an outer surface, an inner surface and a second diameter that is smaller than said first diameter, said stem having at least two arm extensions protruding from the outer surface of said stem to allow materials to pass from said inner environment of said inner cannula to said outer environment; and
d) said inner cannula being positioned within said interior environment of said outer test tube so that said bottom end and an arm extension of said inner cannula are aligned with said lower faucet of said outer test tube, said top funnel opening fitting securely within said open top end of said outer test tube and said arm extension being aligned with said upper faucet of said outer test tube, to allow materials to be poured into said funnel opening of said cannula and pass through said arm extensions, bottom end and upper or lower faucets to said exterior environment of said outer test tube without being exposed to said interior environment of said outer test tube.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description, wherein only the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modifications in various aspects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.